Love is Never Ugly
by May 16 writer
Summary: A beautiful ladybug, a beastly cat, and a curse that can only be broken by looking with your heart not your eyes. A Beastly AU
1. Chapter 1

Adrien pov.

I looked out the window of the limo as it pulled in front of the school. Hundreds of students, mostly girls were waiting for me and screaming my name. I was a model and the most popular kid at my school not mention one of the richest. Due to being the son of Gabriel Agreste a famous designer and I was dating the mayor's daughter the prettiest girl in school. Every guy wanted to be me and every girl wanted to date me.

When I stepped out of the limo, they surrounded me demanding autographs and other things.

"Leave him alone!" My best friend Nino cried. He was pretty much my only real friend he liked me for me and he would still like me even if I wasn't rich or popular. I watched as he wrestled his way through the crowd.

"Back off! Let the man breathe!" He shouted.

"Nino!" I cried. "Get me out of here." He grabbed me and guided me out of the crowd.

"You okay dude?" Nino asked.

"Yeah thanks man." I said. "Come on let's get to class."

We went to class and sat down.

"Adrien!" The bleach blonde girl was my girlfriend Chloe. She was the mayor's daughter. I've known her forever and she believes that because we're both good looking, popular, and rich naturally we should be together, isn't that great logic? Nino never liked her and I myself didn't like her all that much either but all my life I've been told that to be the best you need good looks and money. So Chloe being the richest and prettiest girls in school I had to date her.

"Uh-oh! Here comes trouble." Nino whispered.

"Hi Chole." I said

"Listen I need you to sign something." She said.

"Now?"

"Yes! I am your girlfriend, don't you wanna make me happy?"

I puffed and signed her poster. She squeaked and went to sit down.

"Good morning class." Ms. Bustier said. "Today we have a new student. Meet Lila."

A girl walked into the classroom. She had chestnut brown hair, tan skin, and olive green eyes. She was pretty but not my definition of beauty or perfection or at least the definition I was taught so she definitely couldn't be my girlfriend in the future. Nevertheless She looked nervous so I gave her my best smile. I could've sworn I saw her eyes change but I assumed it was my imagination. Little did I know that there was more to her than meets the eye.

"Alright everyone, now who can tell me who Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villenuve?" Ms. Bustier asked.

"She was a French author of fairy tales." One girl said..

"And does anyone know what kind of stories she wrote?"

She "Didn't she write Beauty and the Beast?" Nino guessed.

"Correct but this version was very different from the movie. You see an evil sorceress wanted to marry a prince but he refused so she turned him into a beast until a beautiful woman fell in love with him. Sometime after that a merchant came to the castle and plucked a rose from his garden as punishment the beast demanded that the merchant send his beautiful and kind-hearted daughter to live with him."

"Never heard that one." Nino said.

"Okay class get out your notebooks and start taking notes."

...

"I'm home father." I said.

"Hello Adrien." He said not paying attention to me as usual.

"Father, are we still going out tonight?"

"No I have a meeting tonight."

"But...but you promised."

"I'm sorry but this is important. I'll make it up to you." He said leaving.

"That's what you always say." I sighed.

My father and I never did have a good relationship, he was always busy with work and hardly ever had time for me or my mother. If there was one thing my old man and I agreed on was that my mother was perfection. She was extraordinarily beautiful and she was a lot more affection and loving than him. When I was a kid she was always there to comfort me when he didn't want me around but when I got older she and him would fight a lot. Then one day he lost his temper and she left, I always hoped that she would come back for me or at least write me but I was wrong.

I remember how she always used to keep a greenhouse full of roses. They were her favorite things in the world she loved them way more than the fancy expensive gifts my father gave her. I never understood why she preferred those over the fancy jewelry my father bought her but it made her happy so I didn't complain. After she left he locked it up and relocated it to another house he owned.

That aside, tomorrow night was the big dance and of course Chloe is my date like she and my dad would give me his credit card to buy the needed assets to shut me up.

"Hi Adrien." Lila said.

"Hello Lila."

"Where are you off to?"

"I was just going to eat lunch." She looked like she needed a friend so I decided I'd help her out. "Do you wanna come?"

"Yes."

We went to the cafeteria and sat down with Nino. While we ate, Lila kept staring at me which kind of freaked me out and I really wanted her to stop.

"Adrien?" She said.

"Yeah?"

"The school dance is this Friday."

"I know."

"And I was wondering...would you take me?"

It's not that I didn't like Lila, she seemed nice but I just didn't consider her my type also I had Chloe.

"Well I would like to but sadly I already have a date."

"With who?"

"With me." Chloe cried angrily, I forgot how jealous she can get. "Who is this?"

"This is Lila, a new friend of mine." Adrien said.

"Well Lila. I am Adrien's girlfriend so back off!"

"Chloe!" I said.

"And don't even think about stealing him from me!"

"I wasn't I was just-" Lila stuttered.

"Because you're just some loser! A loser that Adrien would never love."

"Chloe! That's enough!" I scolded. She always was a bully and sometimes I would stop her when she went too far but I came too late. Lila burst into tears and ran away crying. I tried to go after her but she was gone. It was almost like she had disappeared.

The very next day at school Chloe came running out of the girls' room screaming like she had been stabbed to death with a knife. Zits and warts covered her face, she had large teeth, bad breath, and a long nose.

"I'm hideous!" She shrieked. "Sabrina! Call Daddy! Tell him to book a major treatment for me at the spa!"

"Whoa...Ugly." Nino said.

"What happened?" Adrien asked.

"I don't know! My face! My beautiful face!"

"Poor Chloe." Lila sounding innocent a little too innocent for my taste. "I wonder what could've happened?"

"Looks like she won't be coming to the dance." I said.

"Does this mean I can be your date?"

"No!" Chloe cried. "I just need a beauty treatment. Adrien! Pick me up and be sure to get me an orchid!"


	2. Chapter 2

I slipped on my tux and combed my hair. The limo arrived and as usual my father wouldn't be there to give me advice or drop me off. During the ride, I remembered I needed to get Chloe an orchid so I made the driver stop at the flower shop. There were flowers everywhere. Violets, poppies, daffodils, lillies, tulips, and roses. The flowers made him think of my mother and how much she loved them.

"Can I help you?" The clerk asked me.

At the cashier was a woman with short red hair and eyes that seemed to twinkle. She wore a red dress with black spots on it.

"Do you have any orchids?"

"I'm sorry but we're all out."

"But I need one for my date."

"Orchids are proud and stuck up." She said. "If I may suggest, bring her a rose they symbolize true beauty and love."

I looked at the roses until I saw a single white rose. I didn't know why but I liked that one the best. She plucked the rose and gave it to me then I left for the dance. As expected Chloe bitched about the rose and the spa treatment didn't do nothing for her but I was in enough trouble already so I wouldn't point that out.

"I can't believe you got me a damn rose!" She screeched.

"What's wrong with it?"

"It doesn't match!"

"It's white, white goes with everything."

"It's off white!" She took the rose corsage from me and threw it to the floor. "You better get me something expensive for this! And I want that new gold bracelet."

I picked it up and sighed. I looked over to see some of the party staff cleaning up, some of them were students who volunteered for extra credit. I recognized one of them from school, her name was Marinette. I had seen her around school but I had never spoken to her mainly because she's kind of invisible. She wore a uniform, which came with a hat that she had her hair piled up in it and the room was dark with neon lights so I couldn't really get a good look at her face. I looked down at the rose corsage and picked it up. I thought it was a shame to let go to waist so I decided why not give it to her.

"Marinette?" I said.

"Yes?" She looked up. "Can I help you?"

"Listen do you like roses?"

"Yes, they're my favorite."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well my date didn't want this so here."

I handed her the corsage, she seemed hesitant at first but then she accepted it

"Marinette!" Her friend called. "Girl! Come and help me with this table."

"I'm coming Alya." She said. "Thank you."

"It's nothing really."

Chloe avoided me during the whole dance and I couldn't find Nino so I was pretty much on my own. I went outside to get some air when I heard the sound of heels clicking and I felt a pair of slender arms around me. At first I thought it was Chloe so I didn't respond but when I felt a pair of lips on my neck I turned to see Lila in provocative black dress.

"Lila? What the hell are you doing?!" I said shoving her off.

"You looked lonely so I came to comfort you." She tried to kiss me but I shoved her off again.

"Lila I have a girlfriend!"

"That blonde bitch? You can't seriously like her? If you're dating her because of her looks I can assure you she won't be pretty much longer."

I don't what she meant by that but I had a strange feeling that she could be dangerous.

"Choose me Adrien." She said.

"Choose you for what?"

"To be your lover."

She made a grab for my manhood but I quickly dodged her hand.

"Lover?" He said. "Lila, we're just friends."

"What? But you'll learn to love me in time right?"

"Slow down we just met and you're already making an aim for my crotch. Not even Chloe did that when we met."

"Well you don't really want her."

She grabbed my hand and put it to her butt I tried to pull it away.

"Okay I think you're kind of drunk." I said. "So stop."

"I know you want me." She held it there and jerked it away.

"I said stop! I don't want you!"

"Yes you do." She tried to grab me.

"Get off me! You freak!"

I pushed her off a little harder than I needed to. I tried to help her up but she smacked my hand away. She stood up and a glowing aura surrounded, her hair seemed to be flowing while her eyes were glowing. I thought that someone had spiked the punch and I was drunk but I would soon learn that this was real.

"Lila? Are you okay?"

"No! How dare you reject the most powerful witch in the world!"

"Witch?! Okay somebody spiked the punch or I'm dreaming." I pinched himself. "Ow!"

"You're not hallucinating! And you're awake!"

"So you're real?"

"Yes I'm real! You had your chance to love me but instead you insult me! Everyone loves you so it doesn't matter huh? Well let's see how much they'll love you now."

She clenched her fists, lifted it up, and snapped her fingers. Light flashed, I felt dizzy and a little feverish. I collapsed to floor as my vision became blurry and everything seemed to be spinning. When I got up and my vision cleared I felt different.

"Wha...what happened?" I said.

"Two years." I heard Lila said.

"Two years? Two years for what?"

"You have two years to find someone to love you, or stay like this forever."

"Like what?"

I looked at a picture of myself in the reflection of the glass doors. Looking back at me was a young man covered with fangs, claws, cat ears, a tail, ruffled hair, and cat like green eyes. Was that me? My tux had been replaced with a clad black suit, I rolled up the sleeve to reveal a tattoo of a tree with pink, red, and white roses.

"I've turned you beastly." She said. "When the roses all wilt away and die, your time is up. Your only hope is that a beautiful girl must fall in love you and prove it by saying the words I love you and give you a kiss."

She then banished in a puff of smoke and that night marked the beginning of my misery.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello? Is someone there?" I heard my father say when he walked into the living room. The lights were off and I was hiding in a corner.

"Father?" I said.

"Adrien? What's going on? Why are you sitting in the dark?"

He reached for the light switch, I quickly stopped him.

"Don't!"

"What is wrong with you?"

"Father..." I said shakingly. "Do you believe magic?"

"What are you talking about? Let go of me!" He broke his hand free and went to turn the lights on.

"No!"

But it was too late, he looked in horror at what I had become. He took me to see every doctor and plastic surgeon in Paris but they all said the same thing.

"I'm sorry Mr. Agreste, but there's nothing I can do."

"You have to do something!" My father said to the doctor. "Give him some medicine, preform surgery, do something! I mean look at him."

"Well we could try a procedure and maybe a few scans but they're could be some risks."

"Risks?" I said.

"Is it money? I'll pay thousands!" My father said.

"I understand money is not a problem for you Mr. Agreste but what you would be risking is your son's life. He is in perfect health, to preform a medical procedure on him could leave him disfigured, disabled, or even dead."

"I don't care what the risk is!"

I hoped that when he shouted that it was because he was iterated with the doctor and didn't think about what he was going to say next. Either way I bolted out of there the minute he said those words. After seeing there was no way to remove this without killing me my father decided it would be best if I was homeschooled for awhile, he also thought it would be better if I lived away from him too. So he sent me to live in the second house we owned though it was actually a mansion if you wanna get technical.

A glorious mansion located far off from town somewhere, barely noticeable. It was filled with different rooms, bedrooms, a dinning hall, some living rooms, and mother's green house. When I was a kid, we stay up there every summer or on Christmas break but that was a long time ago. For the first few days I was there it was just me, all alone wallowing in self pity, call it pathetic if you must but what else was there for me to do?

Then one day I heard the doorbell ring. I peeped through the hole to see a man dressed in black with black hair and green eyes like mine except they weren't bright they looked faded as if some life had been drained from them.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Mary Poppins." He joked, a comedian no doubt. "My name is Plagg, I'm your tutor."

I opened the door and he walked in.

"Aren't you scared?" I asked him.

"No, why?"

"Um because I look kind of spooky."

"Well I wouldn't know, I can't see." He said. "I'm blind."

Typical, of course he'd get a blind tutor that way he couldn't blab to the news about Gabriel's freakish son. I bet if this guy knew what I really looked like he would go running to the press.

"Actually kid if I could see I wouldn't do that." He said.

"Huh? Did I?"

"No you didn't say it out loud and yes I can read your thoughts."

"How?!"

"Plagg stop reading people's minds it's very rude." A high voice said.

I turned to see the clerk from the flower shop carrying a load of luggage. She was about to collapse so I went to give her a hand.

"Oh thank you." She said. "At least someone here knows how to be a gentlemen."

"What do you want from me woman? I'm blind!" Plagg said.

"Yes but you have a sixth sense that helps support you with that." She said.

"Hold up! Sixth sense? Reading minds? And didn't you used to work at the flower shop? Who are you people?" I said.

"I am Tikki I'm your new maid and cook." She said. "I'm also a witch."

Great! Not another witch.

"The lazy cheese loving bum over here is Plagg he's my magical assistant and your tutor."

"Lazy bum? I work to you know."

"Right?"

"Hold up." I said. "A witch? And magical assistant? Are you here to cast another hex on me?"

"Oh no you misunderstand, I'm a good witch and while Plagg and I are here just to serve as your tutor and servant we're more like your protector and guardian."

"What for?" I asked suspiously. "Why did you apply for the job."

"For the free food." Plagg said.

"No you pig." Tikki said elbowing him. "We're here because we want to help you because that's what good witches and their assistants do."

"Basically you know the old stories about fairy godmothers, Merlin, and the blue fairy? Well that's us." Plagg said. "For example you are looking at the man who was Aladdin's genie and the woman who made Cinderella the belle of the ball."

"Wait are you Cinderella's fairy godmother?" I asked Tikki.

"Technically I'm her Witch friend but yes."

"Cinderella was a real person?"

"Well yes but her real name is Marie. The stories tell it differently because we can't expose ourselves to mortals, centuries ago we could back when people believed in magic but times changed and now a days humans can't handle the existence of magical creatures anymore."

"Remember Salem? That was ugly." Plagg said. "Crazy puritans, tried to hang me at least six times I still have nightmares about it."

"Wait a minute, how old are you guys?" I asked them.

"We're as old as time itself." Plagg said.

"But we look as young as the dawn and though we've had to go into hiding it's never stopped us from granting wishes for the good and cursing the evil." Tikki added.

"Well I got cursed and I don't know if I did anything to deserve it." I said.

"I'm afraid this was the work of young, misguided, bad witch." Tikki said.

"Not to mention unlike us she's human so naturally this happened." Plagg said. "I told Trixx teaching magic to a mortal was a bad idea."

"Can you undo this?" I asked.

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid curses can't be undone by magic even it's good." Tikki sighed. "Curses can only broken by the most powerful magic of all, true love."

"Then can you make someone fall in love with me?"

"We can't do that either it's one of the rules. We can't kill anyone, we can't bring back anyone from the dead, and we can't make anyone fall in love."

"Sucks doesn't it?"

"Plagg shut up!"

"I'm just saying why can't we do it?"

"You know very well our magic has no effect on matters of the heart! Love is just too powerful and too good to be tampered with."

"Well then I'm screwed." I said.


	4. Chapter 4

Weeks passed, my old man promised to visit me but he either didn't show up or stayed for like an hour. Plagg would tutor me and Tikki would talk with me but it didn't fill the void. I was bored out of my mind so Plagg and Tikki gave me a magic mirror, they said it would allow me to see whatever I wanted. First I used the mirror's powers to spy on people I knew. First I spied on my father, as usual he was busy in the office yelling at his employees. Next was Nino who looked pretty upset and bummed, it turns out my father had told everyone I moved to a boarding school. Then I spied on Chloe and she was making out with several men. I remembered the last time she had spoken to me. It had been months ago when the curse first took hold, I had invited her to my house hoping to get a kiss and an "I love you."

"Adrien?" She said walking in. "Why is the room dark?"

"I...I...just wanted to make things romantic." I lied nervously. "Chole...do you love me?"

"Of course I do. You're rich and handsome."

"But what if I wasn't would you still love me?"

"What does it matter? You'll always be rich and handsome."

I was afraid she was going to say that.

"Will you kiss me?"

"Sure but hang on my make up is running, I need to check it." I tried to stop her from turning on the lights but I was too late and the room was filled with horrific screeches from her. "ADRIEN?!"

"I...I can explain."

"You're...you're hideous!" She headed for the door.

"Chloe wait! You said you loved me."

"That was when you were better like looking. Now you're a freak! A monster! Ugh! Call me when you get a makeover."

I had always suspected that Chloe never really, truly, loved me but I couldn't help but hope.

"Chloe wait, please don't tell anyone."

"Oh don't worry I won't! Everyone would laugh at me if they knew I was with...whatever you are."

She left and I never heard from her again except for when I spied on her once in a blue moon. Once I had seen everyone I especially knew I decided to just look up random people from my school, they were all just doing stuff that didn't interest me except for when I got to Marinette. She was in her room sewing something that seemed to be a hat. Now that I could see her in a better light I saw that she was beautiful. Without that stupid hat or her uniform I saw that she had midnight hair that shined like stardust and her eyes were blue a very deep blue that envied the heavens above and shamed the blue belle flowers that grew in spring time. My examination of her face was interrupted by a angry voice shouting.

"Marinette! Where are you?!"

A man ran into her room and seized her by her arm. Fear crossed her face but she calmly put down her work down.

"Where is it?!"

"Where's what?"

"Don't play stupid! Where is it?!"

"I threw it out."

"Bitch!"

He slapped her, I almost jumped back.

"You...You promised us that you had stopped." She whimpered. "That you had gone to rehab."

"I only said that to shut up my stupid brother!"

He lunged for her but she ducked.

"Stay away from me!" She cried. "I'll call the cops!"

"You wouldn't call the cops on your uncle!"

Uncle? I thought.

"We're family and don't even think about running away because until my idiot brother and his wife come back from China I own you!"

She broke away from him and ran into the bathroom where she locked the door and began to cry. I wanted to go to her but what could I do? Weeks turned into months and eventually I got tired of moping around so I decided to just explore. At first I found nothing different, same old rooms with same old stuff but then I found a couple of rooms I had never been in before. Most of them were empty though and those that weren't had packages that were in opened. I remember my father saying that there were somethings he kept in storage, this must be his storage.

But one room that really interested me was one with a safe. My father's private safe which no one was allowed to look into not even my mother was allowed to look in. But he hadn't been here in years so I said screw it and cracked the combination with my heightened senses. Inside were a few old designs he trashed, a few books, a miniature portrait of my mother, and a bunch of letters. Needles to say I got curious and decided to take a peek at those letters. They were addressed to me from my mother. I opened the first one and began reading it.

Dear Adrien

I'm so sorry I left you, really I am.

What happened between me and your father wasn't your fault.

I love you so much and if you still love me and can find in your

heart to forgive me then write me and I'll come back for you.

Love Mommy.

That letter was written a week after Mom left. I read another that was sent the next day and the next and the next. She had written me a letter everyday for the entire year she was gone and they all said the same thing.

I'm sorry

I love you

Just write back and I'll come home

I remember my father never letting me see the mail, he stole those letters and he kept them from me. Leaving me to believe that my mother never cared. That man had a lot of explaining to do and he would explain.

"Why did you keep Mother's letters from me?!" I said when he came for his next visit. I tossed the 365 letters on to the floor.

"Where did you get those?" He asked.

"I found them in your safe."

"You went in my safe!"

"Don't change the subject! You took these from me! And you lied to me about weather Mom tried to contact me! You knew how much I missed Mom why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because I knew you'd go with your mother if you knew she still loved and wanted you. I didn't want to lose you."

"No! You didn't want to lose your best model!" He snapped. "Where is she?! I wanna talk to her right now!"

"You can't!"

"Don't try to stop me!"

"No you can't because she's dead!"

"What?" I whispered.

He didn't answer for a five minutes then he spoke in a calm tone.

"She died in a car accident six months ago."

My heart shattered and my soul was destroyed. Dead, she was dead and buried. I turned to him with fury in my eyes.

"Get out." I whispered.

"Adrien."

"I said get out! I hate you! I never wanna see you again!"

He left while hanging his head in shame. He deserved to feel shame, I never saw or heard from him again after that for a long time. That's when I realized that I needed to do something otherwise I'd go insane and I did. I would tend to my mother's beloved roses. I broke the lock on the greenhouse, bought gardening supplies online, and pretty soon the greenhouse was once again alive with roses, my prized possessions.

"The greenhouse is beautiful Adrien." Tikki said.

"Thank you."

"Don't they make you happy?"

"No but they keep me sane."

"Have faith Adrien, sometimes unexpected things happen."

"Sure they do." I said


	5. Chapter 5

One night I awoke to the sound of glass breaking, that seemed to be coming from outside. All at once I bolted out of the mansion into the greenhouse. There stood a man who had broken into my greenhouse. He was in his thirties, dirty and greasey looking also a little disoriented. A drug addict no doubt but then I saw he had smashed a display killing my red roses, killing them! He killed my roses! The only things I had left of my mother.

"How dare you break in here and destroy my roses!" I roared.

I pulled him into a headlock.

"I'm...I'm sorry!" He cried. "Just don't hurt me! I-"

"Silence!" I shouted. "You ruined them! Now you're gonna pay!"

"What are you going to do?"

No clue. "I'm going to drop you scum bag!"

His eyes were filled with horror and his face began to turn red from how hard I was holding him. He waved his arms around like crazy, struggling to get loose but I had a tight hold on him.

"It...It was an accident." He blubbered. "And they were just stupid flowers."

"Just stupid flowers?!" I lost control and sized him by his throat. His face began to turn blue as he choked for breath.

"Let me go! I'll do anything! I'll get you anything!" He coughed. "Money!"

"No amount of money can pay for what you've done!"

"Drugs?"

"I'm not an addict you sleeze!"

"There must be something." He was crying now but at the same time he seemed to be thinking of something, anything he could give me to save his ass. "What about a girl?!"

"What?" I almost lost my grip.

"A girl! A pretty girl! You want one? I'll get you one."

"Don't screw with me! I warn you!"

"No! I have a niece!"

A released the thief and let him breathe. After listening to him coughing, gasping, and trying to catch his breath for about maybe an hour or thirty minute I grew impatient.

"Alright talk!" I ordered.

"She's my brother's daughter and he and his wife are gone so you can have her."

"You're lying!"

"No I'm not!"

"Prove it! Describe her!"

"She's young and a little spirited which I find very annoying but she's very beautiful. So if you want a little action you won't be disappointed if you know what I mean."

Pervert I thought.

"She's nothing but an unwanted problem. Take the brat if you want her just let me go!"

I thought for a moment and I realized this might be my only chance.

"Fine but you are to bring her here in one week and don't think you can get away without giving her to me. Because if you do."

I pulled out my phone and took a picture of him with his drugs and the broken glass.

"The cops will get these."

"Okay, I'll bring her in a week."

"Now get out of my sight!"

He ran out of the greenhouse as fast as his legs could carry him then I took and the mirror and asked it to show me his niece and to my surprise it was Marinette. Sweet, kind, and understanding Marinette just the girl I needed.

I grabbed my dad's credit card, went online, and began buying things to design a bedroom perfect for Marinette. I started out by buying paint, wall paper, a comfy mattress and cool sheets for her bed and down for her pillows. Next I bought fancy and expensive clothes, shoes, and jewelry. I hoped I got her size right. Using the mirror, I watched and studied Marinette learning everything I could about her. What she liked and didn't like, I remembered how much she loved the rose I gave her so I made sure to fill her room with roses. I saw that she loved to read, write, and design. So I bought all types of books: novels, history books, science books, biographies, even blank notebooks for her to write or design in. Another thing I learned about her was that she sewed for a hobby which gave me the idea to buy fabrics, threads, needles, a sewing machine, and pretty things that people stitch on to clothes to make them look better like buttons and ribbons.

I hardly slept that week because I was either too busy designing her room or because I was too excited. On the last day of the week I asked to see her, she was in her room with her bags packed. She was coming, I could hardly wait. She would live like a princess and I would give her anything she wanted.

"I'm not sure if I want to be apart of kidnap." Plagg said.

"I didn't kidnap her." I said. "Her drug addict uncle basically handed her over to me."

"Yes but what exactly do you intend to do with her?"

"I...I don't know...I just...I just need her. She might be the one."

"So a simple date wouldn't have worked?"

"That wouldn't work! She's so beautiful and I'm...Look at me! Do you think anyone would date anyone who looked like this?"

"Hello? Blind remember."

"Oh sorry. How did you lose your sight anyway?"

"I lost my eyes."

"What are you talking about? You have eyes, I can see them."

"These are fake kid."

"You mean like glass eyes?"

"No it's an illusion. That's disgusting you humans can be so gross. Years ago Tikki and I stopped an evil wizard from enslaving all of Europe. We succeeded but he stole my eyes and he cut off Tikki's wings."

"Tikki had wings?"

"Yeah but now that they're gone she can't ever go home to her sisters. She's stuck on earth with me."

"What's wrong with being stuck on earth?"

"Nothing unless your family is all the way in another dimension."

"Oh that's sad."

"I know and she complains about it all the time."

"Excuse me?" Tikki said.

"Well you do."

"How come you never wanna hear about my needs?"

"Because your needs don't matter to me."

"And your needs do? Who cares weather cheddar or monetary jack is better? Or how much Camembert you can eat in one minute? It's stupid!"

"How dare you insult Camembert! It is the greatest food in the world."

"Oh be quiet or I'll turn you into a toad again."

"Please don't I'm still recovering from the warts."


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette pov.

My uncle forcibly dragged me toward the mansion and knocked on the door. I can't believe he was actually giving me to some total stranger to do whatever the hell he wanted to do with me. I had cried myself to sleep every night last week and I said goodbye to my friend Aly who was just as heartbroken as I was and my parents! What would they say once they got back from China. The door was opened for us by a woman with short red hair and big blue eyes.

"Hello, you must be our guest. Do come in." She said politely.

"Where's your boss?" My uncle said. "I have my niece for him! Where the hell is he?"

"He's busy at the moment." The woman said. "Um..Mr. Dupain, I believe you dropped these the other night."

She handed him a small bag of drugs. Those damn drugs!

"You're selling me for these!" I said.

"He's got pictures of me girl! What choice did I have?"

"I...I..don't know." I stuttered. "Bu...but you can't just leave me here."

"Do you want me to got to jail?"

Yes! That's exactly what I wanted. To send my uncle to jail, to make pay for what he did.

"No." I said pitifully.

"I can assure sir that your niece will be well taken care of." The maid said.

"I don't care!" I looked at with pleading eyes hoping and praying that I could appeal to his better nature but I had forgotten he had no better nature. "You're better off."

With that he was gone. The maid looked at him with disgust and then at me with pity. I was used to such looks when he and I would go out in public.

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"My name is Tikki, I'm the maid and cook here. Pleased to make your aquatinence."

"Same to you." I said.

"The man I work for asked me to get you anything you want if you need anything."

"Where is he?" I said angrily.

"He doesn't want to meet you just yet."

"Good! I don't want to see him!" I never thought I could hate anyone other than my uncle but this guy came to close second. How dare he demand that my uncle hand me over to him like I'm some trinket. News flash I'm not a thing I'm a person.

"And just so you know!" I called out, hoping he could hear me. "You come near me, I taser your ass!"

"Why don't I show you to your room dear?" Tikki suggested.

I followed Tikki upstairs and down a corridor of doors until we stopped a one door that had the words: Marinette's Room. Painted in gold. Here I thought only rich people or royalty had doors with their names on them. She opened the door to an elegant bedroom that looked like it belonged to a princess. There was a lovely white and rose gold canopy bed with pink comforters and matching pink curtains hanging from it. The walls were cream colored with cute designs painted on it. I had a vanity set with a mirror, a box full of jewelry, and compartments containing brushes, perfumes, hair clips, make up and combs. My closet and drawers were filled with expensive clothes, dresses, shoes, and nightclothes. I found a shelf of different types of books and a sewing machine with a box of sewing supplies. The entire room was decorated with fresh roses giving it a wonderful smell.

"This is mine?" I said in disbelief.

"Sure is. I'll leave you to get unpacked."

Once Tikki was gone, I began to cry. It had taken all my will power not to burst into tears the minute I walked in. I was sure she would never see my parents or best friend Alya again. I wanted to leave so bad but if I did my uncle would go to jail and my father would be heartbroken. My father had always tried to help him get off them, he cared so much about everyone in our family even a sleaze like him. I had never met my uncle until a few months ago, Mom and Dad had volunteered to help sick patients in China they didn't bring me along because they didn't want me to catch the disease. My maternal grandparents were in China and my paternal grandparents were dead so they had to leave me with my uncle. At the time we were all convinced he gone rehab but once my parents were gone he showed his true colors. I often asked myself how someone as caring and selfless as my father could possibly be related to a dishonest thief like my uncle.

Knock-knock!

I froze at that noise.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"It's me." A voice said. It sounded like a boy. Must be the creep who forced me to stay here.

"Please...Go...Go away." I said.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." He said.

"Who are you?"

"Just call me Cat Noir."

"Why am I here?"

"It's...kind of hard to explain."

"You can't just keep me here for no reason!"

"I'm sorry. I...hope you'll join me for dinner tonight."

"No!" I cried out causing more tears to stream down my face. After what he's put me through he has the gall to ask me that. Like we're friends.. "Leave me alone! I hate you!"

"Okay, I hope someday you'll understand why I wanted you here." He said. "Whatever you want, you need only ask and it will be yours."

I didn't want anything from him but my freedom and my life. Didn't he understand that?

Adrien pov

Well it's official she hates me. Nevertheless I wouldn't give up so I went back to her room again.

"I wanna go home." She said.

"I know." I said.

"I don't understand. Why did you make me come here?"

"I didn't, you came willingly."

"Only because if I didn't you'd have my uncle thrown in jail! "

"He broke into my home and destroyed my property." He said.

"It was only a few roses!"

"Those roses were more precious to me than any money in the world!" I didn't mean to get angry with her but she didn't understand how dear those roses were to him.

"It was an accident! He didn't mean to!"

"Yeah? Well did he tell you that he willingly gave you to me? He was totally desperate to get his drugs back and avoid going to jail that practically begged me to take you instead of him!" I shouted. "What a scum bag."

"Be quiet! You have no right!"

She was crying again. Smooth move Agreste as if what you done already wasn't enough, you had to insult her family.

"I'm sorry." Stupid! Stupid! "I didn't-"

"Just go away!"

I obeyed her order and left. Marinette never left her room after that, Tikki would bring her meals and that was it. A looked at the tattoo on my arm, the first rose had just started to wilt.

"I don't understand why she hasn't come out yet." I complained. "Does she still hate me?"

"Perhaps." Plagg said. "Of course who could blame her?"

"But it's been almost a month."

"I told you this wasn't going to be easy."

"You're going to have to be patient with her Adrien." Tikki said.

"For how long? I haven't done anything to her! I've given her a nice room and wonderful things."

"Adrien this girl is not like the ones you've dated." Plagg said. "Material things and expensive gifts aren't going to impress her."

"If she won't come out then I'll make her. Tell her I want her to come out!"

"So you're ordering her to come out?" Tikki asked.

"Like that will work, you can't force her to love you." Plagg said. "If you do that then you're no better than Lila. She's scared Adrien."

"I won't hurt her."

"But she doesn't know that. All she knows is a man has forced her to leave her family, her friends, and her life to live with him for God knows what purpose. She thinks you're a monster and she hasn't even seen you yet."

"Just give her time Adrien." Tikki said. "She can't stay in there forever, she'll come out when she's ready just be patient."

I went to my room and pulled out my mirror. I asked it to show me Marinette, there she was in her room just sitting on her bed not doing anything except maybe crying every few hours. She was so beautiful, more beautiful than any jewel my father purchased or any rose in my mother's greenhouse or any girl I've dated. Plagg was right, this wasn't going to be easy at all.


	7. Chapter 7

Marinette pov.

I left my room for the very first time, but only because I was so bored. I looked around the mansion wondering what this guy did to afford such a nice place. I walked into a living room to see a black figure sitting in a chair watching TV. Was that him?

"Hello?"

He froze and didn't move a muscle. I walked closer and gasped when he turned around. My uncle had told me he was a monster with fangs, claws, and black fur but I had assumed it was another of his drug hallucinations. I never considered that it could be true then again now that I'm getting a good look at him he doesn't look like a monster that much. He looks more like someone with a rare hair and skin disorder.

"Pretty gruesome huh?" He said.

"I've seen worse." It was true I had seen worse. My uncle would often invite his poker buddies over, now that was ugly. They were all oily slick haired, yellow teethed, dirty nailed, and bad breathed. Ugh! Compared to them this guy was a super model. (Irony alert!)

"You don't have to lie to spare my feelings." He asked.

"No lie I have."

"Hmm...Then I hate to see what you've seen."

"So...Are we ever gonna get to the fact of why I'm here?"

"Not now." He said.

"Will I ever go home?"

"I...I don't know."

"What?!" I was mad. Did he plan on keeping me here forever?

'No! I mean! Yes...you will go home I just don't know when."

"I don't understand any of this. Why are you keeping me here? I'm not some pet or object you can own."

"I know it's just that... Let's just say I'm in trouble and only you can help me...maybe."

"Trouble? What kind?"

"I...I can't tell you."

I hated secrets and lies, if this guy wasn't going to tell me anything then I wasn't talking to him. I went right back to my room where Tikki was waiting.

"Hello Dear." She said. "I hope dinner was to your liking.."

"It was. Thank you." I said.

"Good now I've already started your bath so I suggest you get in before the water gets cold." Tikki said. "And while you're bathing I'll get your bed ready."

"My bath?"

It turns out I had my own private bathroom in my room and boy, was it a bathroom. It was gorgeous, complete with a tub and a closet of different soaps, shampoos, conditioners, shaving creams, razors, and towels. I wasn't too comfortable bathing in a stranger's house at first but I couldn't just reject hygiene, so I pulled out a few of the toiletries, locked the door, and unchanged for my bath. The water was perfectly warm and scented with rose petals. It was one of the best baths I had ever had. After I had rinsed and dried off I went back into my bedroom to find find my bed unmade and new sleepwear laid out.

It was a white nightgown that was thin and light, next to it was a white robe that matched it perfectly. I dressed into it and tied her my hair back into pig tails before going to bed. It was the most comfortable bed I had ever gotten into. My pillow was so soft was their down in it? My sheets were very cool, and my rose quilt was very warm and cozy. For awhile I tried to stay awake due to fear but eventually I fell asleep.

Around midnight I woke up to the sound of howling. At first I thought I was dreaming but after awhile I realized that there was something in the house making that noise. Curious, I slipped on my robe and went out of my room. I followed the strange noise as it lead me down the hall, as I got closer to it, it began to sound more and more like a poor animal suffering in pain. It was coming from the room at the end of the hall. My instincts told me it was a bad idea but unfortunately my curiosity overruled it. I opened the door, hesitated before entering then walked inside.

Then I saw him, he was on the ground scratching and mauling at his face while howling in pain. I was so scared I could hardly breathe I tried to walk back quietly but the floor creaked getting his attention. He looked at me.

"What are you doing here?! Don't look at me!" He shouted. "Don't look at me! Stop it! Get out! Don't look at me like this!"

I ran out of his room, this guy was insane. He was crazy enough to attack himself imagine what he could do to me. Forget what happens to my uncle it's not worth being torn to shreds by this mad man. I opened the door and ran outside into the freezing cold. Perhaps I should've brought I jacket or something but I was so scared and desperate to get out of there that I didn't really think about proper clothing. Suddenly I heard something growl, I turned to see him running after me on all fours in the snow that only made me pick up my speed and run faster. Nothing stopped me not even the frozen lake which I hoped that I would make across before it broke but the ice was a lot thinner than I thought. I heard a loud crack and the last thing I remembered before blacking out was feeling so cold that it hurt.

Adrien pov.

I didn't mean to scare her like that but she didn't understand. I truly hated how I looked, there were nights when I hated my looks so much that I would try to claw out my face. I didn't care if it hurt I just wanted it gone. It was a horrifying display and I didn't want anyone to see me like this especially not Marinette. Now that she had seen it I wanted to die. She probably thought I was a monster now or some psycho. Then I heard the front door to my mansion open. Was she running away? I looked out the window to see that she was. No! Not now! I had to stop her. I noticed she had gone out without a coat so I brought a blanket with me. When she saw me going after her she ran even faster.

I had hoped she would stop once she reached the lake but she didn't and my heart dropped when she fell through the ice. I dove in after her and broke through the lake holding her unconscious body. I wrapped her in the blanket I brought and walked back to my mansion. She shivered and whimpered but I hushed her to sleep until we got back. I took her back to her room and tucked her back into her bed once I was sure she was safe and warm I went back to my room hoping neither one of us would have a fever in the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

Marinette pov

When I awoke the next morning I was surprised to find myself in my bedroom. Was what happened last night a dream? No because my night gown was soppy from last night. Although I was extremely frightened by what I saw last night I couldn't help but feel sorry for Cat Noir. He couldn't help how he looked and it would seem he was very much ashamed of it. I thought more about it I began to pity him more than fear him.

After awhile I got out of bed and decided to wear my new clothes. So I changed out of my night wear and looked through my closet for something new . I chose a yellow sundress with pink flowers embroided on the flowing skirt. Then I pulled my hair into a bun and left my room. I went into the dinning room where Tikki was eating breakfast with a man with black hair.

"Oh good morning Dear." She said. "Sit down and I'll get started on your breakfast."

"Thank you." I said.

Tikki went into the kitchen and prepared to cook something

"I don't believe we've met." The man said getting up from his chair. "I'm Plagg, Adrien's tutor and may I say entchante mon cheri." He said kissing my hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. "

"Are you and Tikki forced to work here?"

"No ma'am. We volunteered for the job."

"Would you like some tea Dear?" Tikki asked.

"Yes."

She brought her tray in. "I'm so glad you're alright you us quite a scare when you ran out like that."

"I'm sorry but last night I saw Cat-"

"Oh he was just having another break down." Plagg said.

"Please try to understand him Marinette." Tikki said. "He has suffered very much and has been shown very little compassion. I know it was unfair of him to make you come here but he means well and he really wants you to be happy."

"If he wants me to be happy then he should just let me go."

"It's complicated. He never wanted to hurt you, you should've seen him when he designed your room. Poor thing didn't sleep for a whole week he was so busy."

After breakfast, I did a little exploring around my new home. There were so many rooms in this mansion, each one had something different. One room was an enormous library filled with books. I had read some of the books in my room and was desperate to read new material. I pulled one off the shelf and read it for awhile then I spotted a group of books under a sign that read: Reserved for Marinette. They were all sketch books filled with empty pages ready for someone to write or draw in them. How did he know I liked designing? Lucky guess? I looked out the window to where the greenhouse was. I went outside and opened the glass door.

It was much larger than I expected and very beautiful. It was so warm inside, much better than the cold weather outside. There was a fountain, a swing, and a bench. The garden was filled with fresh wild roses blooming. I couldn't help but sniff one them. It was so beautiful and peaceful here, it made me wonder if any of this was real.

Later I went back to my room and started to draw in one of the sketchbooks. Suddenly a very large black bird with orange tail feathers flew through my window, it flew around my room screeching like mad. When it swooped down toward me I threw one of my books at it, a perfect shot but it seemed to make it angrier. It lunged for me. I screamed as it pulled on my dress with it's talons trying to get to my skin. Luckily before it could do any harm Cat Noir rushed into my room and pulled the bird off me.

"Get away from her!" He demanded.

It screeched and dug it's talons into his skin, he cried out in pain then threw it out the window. I watched as it flew away defeated. What kind of bird was that and why on earth would it attack me? He panted and looked back me. I saw blood on the floor, his hand was bleeding.

"You're hurt!" I gasped.

"It's nothing!" He said.

"Let me see your hand."

"No! It's ugly!"

"I don't care! Please let me see it!" He held out his hand to me, I felt it shake as I looked at it. "It needs to be bandaged. Do you have a first aid kit?"

"In the bathroom down the hall."

When I came back I had bandages and a wet wash cloth. My mother had taught me how to treat wounds so I was prepared, I cleaned his cut and wrapped it up. He hissed in pain a few times but kept still like a good patient. I looked up into his eyes, they looked sad and afraid yet so familiar. Where had I seen those eyes before? Without knowing it, I placed my hand in his, his shaking stopped.

"All better." I said.

"Why did you do that? I thought you hated me."

"I don't hate you. And even if I did, you were hurt I couldn't just leave you."

"Thank you."

"And thank you for saving me again. That was you who brought me back to my room last night right?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I frightened you, I didn't mean to I just...I'm just so ashamed of how I look."

"Well you don't have to be ashamed in front of me. I don't care what you look like."

Adrien pov

Hearing her kind words I felt hope.

A few nights later a terrible thunderstorm came by, I couldn't sleep that night. I never could during a thunderstorm. I remembered how when I was little I'd get so scared and my mother would comfort me. She would hold me, sing to me, and tell me everything would be okay. My ears perked up to hear the floor creaking, someone was walking down the hall. I opened the door and found Marinette standing there with a lit candle, shaking and shivering.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes I was just getting a drink. To calm myself, the storm scares me."

"They scare me too."

Marinette pov

I looked at me shocked. I never thought someone as strong and dark as he was could get scared. But now that I that I think about it more, I guess that everyone gets scared at least once in their lives.

"Is it alright if I go with you? To get a drink?" He asked.

I nodded, he followed me into the kitchen where we got a drink of water. Thunder clapped, he was so scared by it that he dropped his cup. I reached for his hand, it was shaking again.

"You really are scared." I said.

"My mom would help me get through storms like these when I was kid. After she died I tried to get my dad to comfort me but he just told me to be a man."

"I'm sorry. What was your mother like?"

"Very beautiful and very kind. She loved flowers especially roses. That rose garden used to be hers. She loved it there, it was kind of like her special place. Now that she's gone it's all I have left of her."

"So that's why you were so upset when my uncle ruined the roses."

"Yeah and when he broke them, I just got so mad. I felt like he had taken part of my mother and I just felt like taking something equally precious."

"I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive him." I started to go back to my room. He gently grabbed my arm.

"Please don't leave me alone!" He begged. "Just until the storm passes."

I felt sorry for him so I stayed. For awhile we talked then we sat on a sofa, turned on the tv, and watched it quietly. I soon felt myself getting sleepy.

Adrien pov.

When the storm passed she had fallen asleep, her laid sprawled on the sofa cushion and the moonlight which finally came out shined on her face making look like a jewel. I carefully lifted her up and carried her down the hall. She was so light, lighter than air probably because of my beast like strength. She nuzzled closer to me in her sleep, I blushed. When I reached her room and tucked her into bed.

"Goodnight." I whispered.

"Cat Noir?" She said waking up.

"Yeah?"

"In the dark you sound so familiar." That was the last thing she said before falling back asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette pov.

"Mama! Papa! I'm home." I said running to the door of her home but when I got there no one was around. "Mama? Papa? Where are you? Mama! Papa! I've come home."

But they were gone, I didn't understand. They were supposed to be back I turned to see my uncle, Chloe, and Sabrina.

"Oh look! Maritrash is back." Chloe said. "I missed tormenting you."

"Where are my parents?"

"Your parents?" My uncle said. "Oh didn't you hear?"

"They forgot all about you so they're staying."

"Staying?"

"Of course! They're so happy! Now that you were gone they weren't so poor." Chloe cackled.

"That's not true. It can't be! They love me."

"Stupid girl!" Chloe said smacking me. "Nobody loves you."

"Loser!" Sabrina and Chloe began pelting me with trash while my uncle poured beer on me and hit me with the bottles.

I ran out of the bakery in tears. The whole world became dark, I could hear my uncle, Chloe, and Sabrina's cackling all through the air. It continued to get darker, harsh, cold winds blew against me. I felt my skin being cut and scraped by something, it felt like claws.

"Mama. Papa. Somebody help me."

I collapsed in tears sobbing and crying. Suddenly a bottle of my uncle's pills appeared next to me. I picked it up and read the label, it read highly dangerous and could cause death.

"Go on." A voice told me, it sounded like a girl. "Kill yourself. End your misery."

I unscrewed the cap.

"Marinette?" I looked up and saw Adrien standing in front of me. He put his hand over mine and the bottle. "Give me the bottle."

I didn't want to. I wanted to die right now but I let go of the drugs and began to cry harder than ever before.

"Please don't cry." He wiped away my tears and right before my eyes, he turned the bottle of pills into a white rose which he stuck in my hair. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here."

It was getting dark, I couldn't see him anymore but I kept hearing his voice.

"I'm here."

I woke up to see Cat Noir sitting in my bed.

"I'm here Marinette." He said. "It's okay."

I sat up and looked at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I heard you crying and I had to see if you were alright." He saw how puffy and red my eyes were. "What happened?"

I began to cry, he put his arms around me and held me as I cried. I didn't know why I did this and why I did to him but after what I saw I needed someone to hold me.

"My parents were gone." I cried. "They forgot about me. I was left alone."

He stroked my hair with his claws. His shirt was soaked with my tears but he didn't care. "Please don't cry Princess." He said. "It was just a nightmare. Your parents haven't forgotten you."

He wiped my tears away and picked a white rose from my vase to put in my hair just like Adrien did.

"Wait here." He said. He went back to his room and came back with a circle and a net tied in it.

"What is that?" I asked.

"A dream catcher." He said. He hung it over her bed.

"Those never work."

"Trust me this one will. I promise you'll never have a bad dream when you sleep here." He pulled the blanket over me as I laid back down. I quickly fell back asleep, this time I had a wonderful dream. I dreamt that I was in a Cat's beautiful rose garden dressed as a princess dancing with Adrien. By morning when I woke up I felt much better.

...

No one's pov

Alya was crying, she cried at least once a day everyday now. Ever since Marinette had left to be with that man to save her uncle, she had been miserable.

"Alya?" Nino said.

She wiped away her tears and swallowed a sob.

"Go away." Alya said.

"Are you crying?"

"I said go away!" She tried to run but he stopped her.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Let go of me!"

"No! Alya, I've known you forever and I've never seen you cry. Now talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

She looked like she was going to smack him, she even raised her hand. But then she lowered it, her lip began to quiver, and she burst into tears. She sobbed into Nino's shirt as he held her.

"Marinette's gone!" She wept.

"What do you mean?"

"She's gone! She was forced to go live with some horrible man, who's probably beating her up or raping her! He might even have killed her!"

Nino held Alya closer as he listened to her cry.

"I know how you feel. My bro Adrien disappeared a year ago. I hope he's okay."

"I'm sorry."

"But I'm sure they're fine."

"How do you know?"

"I just have a feeling."

At the bakery, Sabine was in her room sobbing while Tom was a broken man. When they returned to find their daughter gone they were heartbroken. They had tried to find her, Tom had tried to get back to the mansion but he couldn't find it. They called the police but they couldn't find it either, it was if the mansion had disappeared.

Little did they know that Adrien had told Tikki and Plagg to cast a spell on the mansion so that no one could find it without his consent. So finding Marinette was a lost cause and yet her parents wouldn't give up. Everyday he searched and every night she would hope and pray that somehow they would all be together again.

"How could you let this happen!" Tom shouted at his brother. "You sold her! She was your niece! You were supposed to take care of her! You're not my brother! Get out of my house!"

"Fine!" He said. "I don't need you!

Once he left he went upstairs to his bedroom.

"I'm home." Tom said glumly. His wife got up from her bed and threw herself into his arms.

"My daughter!" She sobbed. "My poor, poor, daughter."

"It's all my fault."

"No Darling, you're not to blame."

"I just can't bear to think of what horrible things he might be doing to her."

The whole scene was watched by Adrien through the mirror. "Plagg." He called.

"You called?"

"Tell Marinette that she can write a letter to her parents then deliver it."

"Okay."

Plagg got some paper and a pen.

"I can write to my parents?" Marinette said.

"Only if you want to."

"Oh yes I do! Thank you!" She cried happily. She grabbed the paper and began writing with the pen. Then Plagg put in an envelope and delivered it to her house.


	10. Chapter 10

No one's pov

Plagg and Tikki walked out into woods at midnight, it was a full moon out and once they reached the middle of the woods they stepped into a ring of mushrooms. Suddenly three women and two men appeared. One man was green all over, the other man was purple. The women all had wands and wings on their backs, the first woman was blue, the second was yellow, and the third was orange.

"Tikki!" The three women said hugging her.

"How are you?" The yellow one asked.

"I'm fine thank you." Tikki said.

"We've missed you so." The orange one said.

"And I have missed you."

"Well let's get down to business." The blue one said.

She made a table with seven chairs appear and they all sat down.

"So progress report." The blue woman called Duusu asked "What are your missions?"

"An evil dwarf has turned a boy called Ivan into a bear." The green man named Wayzz said. "I need to help him find someone who will help him defeat the dwarf to break the spell. He's already met two young peasant girls. There names are Alix and Mylene."

"How long has he been a bear?" The purple man named Nooroo asked.

"At least three years. What about you?"

"Kim insulted an old witch who turned him into a frog. To be freed a princess must kiss him. I've decided to serve as his faithful servant til the spell breaks."

"A mermaid named Rose asked me to turn her into a human so she could be with a Prince named Ali." The orange woman named Trixx sighed. "But she cannot speak in her human form and if her prince loves another she must turn to sea foam."

"How sad." Bebe said.

"I tried to talk her out of it but she wouldn't listen."

"Poor girl." The yellow woman named Bebe said. "There is a princess named Juleka who has fallen asleep for a hundred years and so she will remain until I can find a prince to kiss her."

"Good luck with that. How did that happen?"

"A fairy did it because she didn't get invited to her sixteenth birthday party. Overreact much?"

"There is a woman kind and honest but no child or family to love her so I granted her wish to have a child by bringing her doll Manon to life." Duusu said. "But to make her a real girl she must be brave, truthful, and unselfish."

"Didn't you do that with a toy maker in Italy a couple centuries back?" Wayzz asked.

"Yes."

"What do you have Plagg and Tikki?" Nooroo asked.

"Ours was a handsome young prince turned into a beast by a witch after he rejected her." Plagg said.

"It was Lila wasn't it?" Nooroo said.

"None other."

"That girl is trouble!" Bebe said.

"This is your fault!" Wayzz said to Trixx. "Why did you teach her how to use magic?"

"I was only trying to help her. She wasn't always so wicked, she was once just a sad young girl who needed help."

"Well now all she does is torture mortals!" Bebe said.

"Enough!" Duusu said. "Trixx is not to blame she was only doing what she was supposed to do. Our mission as good witches and wizards are to help mortals who suffer supernatural problems. Plagg, Tikki, continue."

"His only hope of ever returning to normal is to fall in love and earn love in return." Tikki said.

"But he only has two years and one year has already past." Plagg said.

"However a beauty with the heart of an angel has agreed to stay with him." Tikki added. "She sees not with her eyes but with her heart and we hope she is the one to free him."

"At this point his heart already beats for her." Plagg said. "He lives only to make her happy and to see her smile."

"He no longer cares to break the curse, all he wants is for her to love him as much as he loves her. For she is the first the person since the death of his mother to show him any true kindness."

"How wonderful." Duusu said. "Alright everyone we'll meet back here at the next full moon to discuss progress until then I wish you all good luck."

With that all five of them disappeared into colorful dust and flew away into the night. But Duusu stayed behind for a moment to speak with Plagg and Tikki.

"We really do miss you Tikki and we hope that someday you can come home." Duusu said. "Good luck little sister."

Then her body disappeared into stardust.

"You really miss home huh?" Plagg asked.

"Yes." Tikki sighed.

Plagg gently put his hand on her back, right over the scars where her wings had been cut off. She began to cry.

Marinette's pov.

As the months went by my fear of Cat Noir began to vanish and I actually started to like him. We spent almost everyday together, we were either reading books in the library, tutoring with Plagg, working in the garden, or just talking. In the library we read books like The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Phantom of the Opera. Cat Noir liked those books but at the same time he hated how the characters like Quasimodo and Erik never ended up with the beautiful girl they were in love with. Other books we read were more cheerful and happy like Les Miserables and Princess Bride which I adored. I loved the romance and adventure in the stories and would often picture myself being in the story watching the events take place.

After reading the books we would watch movies based off of them and discuss the differences.

"So what did you think?" He asked me when we finished one movie.

"Wonderful but the ending is very sad. I felt very sorry for Erik."

Adrien's pov.

"Yeah, poor guy. All he ever wanted was to be loved." Just like someone else I know I thought. "So which was your favorite."

"The Princess Bride. The love between Wesley and Buttercup is so romantic."

"Did you read books and watch movies like that often."

"Yes. When I was little I would read fairy stories, you know the ones that always have happy endings. Then I would pretend I was a princess waiting for a prince to rescue me. Silly huh?"

"Well that's normal for most little girls." I giggled. "So did you ever meet a prince? Or you know have a boyfriend."

"No. I never had a boyfriend but I did have someone in mind."

I thought I would choke. "Who?"

"Adrien Agreste." She said.

"What was he like?" A lump formed in my throat which only grew when I heard her next word.

"Perfect." She said. "Popular, handsome, rich. Pretty much what every girl dreams of but it wasn't his looks or title I was attracted to."

"Then what was?"

"He was always so confident, so sure of himself. Me, I was just some clumsy, shy girl. He was also so polite and kind to everyone. I remember one night at a dance he gave me a beautiful white rose and I thought I would die from happiness. I always wondered why he would give it to a nobody like me."

"You're not a nobody. Who would dare say that to you?"

"Chloe Bourgeois." Marinette said. "A popular, beautiful but spoiled brat. She was Adrien's girlfriend or so she said. But she only liked him for his looks and money."

"So what happened to him?"

"I don't know. He disappeared, Chloe told everyone he had become a freak and his father sent him to asylum."

I cringed when I heard this. Why would Chloe say that? Why couldn't she just say she didn't know?

"But I never believed her."

"Why is that?"

"Because Adrien is not a freak. I don't care what anyone says he'll always be wonderful to me. I asked his father but all he told me was that he had gone to a boarding school. I just hope he's not..." She fought her tears best she could.

"Dead?" I said. Marinette collapsed on her knees in tears crying silently. I quickly got down with her and hugged her. "I'm sorry I didn't-"

"It's okay. " I helped her up.

"Tikki should have lunch ready by now. Let's go eat." I said.

She nodded and we went to the kitchen. That night I could hardly sleep, I was lost in thought of what she had said. She had liked me for who I was but that was my old self. It made me start to lose hope. I rolled up my sleeve, the last pink rose on my tattoo had wilted away, all that remained were white and red ones. Time was running out.


	11. Chapter 11

Marinette pov.

"Do you wanna go somewhere with me?" Cat asked me the next day.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I have a motorcycle, if you'd like we can drive around town."

I thought for a minute, I did have a bad case of cabin fever. "Alright."

Cat Noir put on jacket with a hood to cover his face, then we rode into town. I had never ridden a motorcycle before and it frightened me a little. I clung to his waist the whole time terrified that I would fall off if I let go. The motorcycle stopped and he blindfolded me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You'll see." He took my hand and led me somewhere.

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a surprise."

"You wouldn't happen to be leading me off a cliff, would you?"

"No." He laughed. "Just trust me."

A couple minutes later...

"Here we are." He said removing the blindfold.

"The zoo?" I said confused.

"It's way more fun at night."

He showed me every exhibit there. It was nice to see everything without a bunch of people crowding the area.

"You wanna see my favorite spot?" He asked.

"Sure."

"It's just over that wall."

"You mean climb up there?" I said nervously.

"Trust me."

We climbed up the wall and helped me up. He then jumped down landing perfectly on his feet. I froze, I wasn't sure about this but Cat's urging green eyes convinced me otherwise. I jumped and he caught me.

"I told you, you could trust me." He said grinning. He put me down and took me in the back where he showed me a mural of trees, plants, and animals that had been painted.

"When I was kid I wanted to go to the zoo so bad. On the day my parents finally took me it was crowed with people. My parents were scared they would lose me in the crowd so they cancelled but that night when the zoo closed my mom and I snuck in. We had the whole zoo to ourselves."

"That must've been great."

"It was, she took me to see all the animals and then we found this great big white wall that was completely blank. It buggged both of us." He said. "So the next night we snuck in again and brought a bunch of paints and painted this whole mural."

"Amazing." I said.

We laid down in the grass and watched the stars. My mother told me that the stars tell stories and that they do it by drawing symbols that were the constellations. She also said that the stars serve as heaven's eyes that watch over on us on earth and if a star twinkles it means an angel is laughing. I told Cat and I expected him to laugh but he actually believed me. After awhile I felt myself getting sleepy and drifting off.

Adrien's pov.

She was getting sleepy so I brought her back and she went to bed. I carried her up to her room and tuck her into bed before she fell asleep, I asked her.

"Marinette...do you love me?"

"What?" She asked not sure if she heard me right. I saw nervousness in her eyes.

"Nothing." I said. "Good night."

I went to back to my room and fell asleep dreaming of Marinette.

"She'll never love me." I said the next morning looking at my tattoo, the first white rose had wilted away.

"Are you sure?" Plagg said. "She might."

"No. She doesn't. And I don't think she ever will."

"Then why keep her?"

I thought about that, it had been 8 months and she still didn't seem to want to love me.

"Why not let her go? It seems clear that you'll never turn back. So just let her go."

"No!" I said. "I can't! I can't live life without her! She's all I have!"

"Oh..." Plagg said faking surprise. "Is she now?"

That's when it all clicked for me. All this time, I had given up on the curse months ago and yet I still wanted her here. I had told myself it was because of false hope I still had but now I knew it wasn't true. I kept her here because I wanted to be with her.

"I love her." I said in realization. "I love her Plagg, more than I've ever loved anyone else. I don't care about breaking the spell anymore I haven't cared about it in months. I just want her to love me."

"Then let her go."

"I can't! If she leaves she might never come back. I'll be all alone again."

"What am I? Chopped liver?"

"You know what I mean, Plagg. If I never saw her again I know I would die."

Plagg looked at me with pity and patted me on the back in a comforting way.

"Love is not selfish Adrien. You can't keep her here forever, you know that. One day you'll have to let her go...no matter how much it hurts." He said. "You know what they say if you love something set it free if it comes back then it's yours."

"And what if she never comes back?"

"I can't answer that kid."

I didn't like the way he said that. I can live as a beast but I can't live without Marinette.

"Shh! I hear something." Plagg said.

I listened with my cat like hearing but I couldn't hear anything I also didn't see anything.

"I think you're hearing things."

"No something is in here that doesn't belong."

"I can't see or hear a thing."

"Perhaps you can't we magical beings however have far superior senses than humans and animals. I am blind but my senses surpasses even a bloodhound's nose. Now keep quiet."

I watched as he shrank into a black cat and stayed perfectly still, listening for something. Then at great speed he pounced behind a chair, I listened to him hiss and yowl then walked out carrying what appeared to be nothing. But when he bit down hard a dead rat appeared in his mouth. It was an ugly little thing, dirty with a crooked tooth and bloodshot eyes. He spat it out and regained his human form with the rodent in his hand.

"Just as I suspected. A filthy rat." He said. "And by the looks of it I'd say it was a spy, cloaked in a spell that would make him unable to be seen, heard, or smelled by humans, animals, or anything normal. But paranormal beings like me and Tikki can sense it a mile away."

"No wonder I couldn't hear or see it even with my heightened senses."

Plagg stuck his inside the rat and pulled out a small stone."

"Yep! Definitely a spy, a witch made this rat swallow this stone allowing her to scan his mind for what he saw once he reported back."

"And I think I have a pretty good idea what witch he was supposed to spy for." I said.

I wrote a note and had Plagg use to convince a bird to take to whoever sent that rat spy but I was sure I knew exactly who it was.


	12. Chapter 12

Marinette pov.

"Cat Noir?" I said walking into the room.

"Hello Marinette." Growl!

"Was that you? Or your stomach?" I asked.

"For once it's my stomach." He said. "I guess I'm a little hungry."

"Then let's go cook something."

"Oh no. I can't really cook." He said. "I never learned."

"Then consider this you're first lesson."

I took his arm and led him to the kitchen.

"So what do you wanna make?" I asked.

"How about salad?"

"Salad? No way! You don't eat salad in winter you eat cookies."

We pulled out a mixing bowl, a spoon, a pan, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and two aprons a regular white one and a Tikki's which was pink with little hearts. We played rock, paper, scissors to decide which one of us would wear hers. Guess who lost? Cat Noir insisted that I cheated but he went through with it.

"You know black and pink looks great on you." I giggled.

"Shut up." He said.

Next we got out the ingredients. We got the flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and my favorite ingredient chocolate chips. I showed him how to measure the ingredients and he did very well though he had a hard time cracking the eggs without shell. Then we mixed the ingredients together which became a thick cookie dough.

"Hold it Mr. Sticky Claws." I said hitting his hand lightly with the spoon for trying to steal cookie dough. "Naughty kitty, no cookie dough for you."

"Come on Princess." He pleaded. "Just one little taste?" He made his eyes all cute and sad like.

"Alright you can lick the spoon when I'm done but you have to do the dishes."

We put the dough on to the pan and put into the oven. Couple minutes later a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies was baked. We poured ourselves two cups of milk and ate to our heart's content but we suffered a bad tummy ache after. Eating a whole batch before bed, not a good idea.

"Oh I feel sick." He groaned.

"Well you did eat twelve."

"I know." He burped. "But I wanna do it again."

"No way! You'd be fat. A fat cat."

"Not everyday just once a year."

"Once a year it is." I agreed. "And only if we make them."

"Deal."

"Well I'm going to bed." I said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight milady."

I changed into my night gown and robe. Before going to bed I saw Cat Noir reading a note. He seemed upset and very worried.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

He put down the note, gently put his hands on my shoulders, and quickly gave me a calm smile

"Everything is fine. I just need to take care of something." He kissed my forehead making me blush. "Go to sleep my lovely, everything is fine."

I wasn't sure but I did as he said.

Adrien pov.

Lila!" I called angrily in the alleyway I asked her to meet me in. "I know you're here! Show yourself!"

A fox came out from behind a trash can and then changed into Lila.

"Hello my beloved. Come to reconsider my offer?"

"Not even in hell, I called you here because I want you to leave Marinette alone!"

"Whatever do you mean?" She asked feigning innocence.

"Don't play games! I know you were that bird who attacked Marinette and I know you've been giving Marinette nightmares and you've been sending your little rats to spy on us! You stay away from her! You hear me?"

"What's so special about her? She's nothing!"

"She's more than you'll ever be!"

She knocked me against the wall with her magic.

"Love me!" She ordered.

"Never!"

"You won't say that when I'm done with her!"

"YOU LAY A HAND ON HER I END YOU!"

I roared and grabbed Lila by her throat, digging my claws into her skin. It was only when my heightened smell picked up the aroma of the small drop of blood that I drew, that I snapped out of it. What had just happened? Something had come over me like I wasn't even human anymore, it was like I had become a wild animal. I loosened my grip but didn't let her go just yet.

"Now listen! If you do anything to hurt her I'll tear you apart with these claws you gave me."

I released her.

"Very well my sweet." She said. "I won't harm her but that doesn't mean I won't harm anyone else."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough beloveded."

She changed into a crow and flew away. I ran home as fast as I could, I swear I would destroy Lila if she harmed Marinette. When I got home I quietly ran to her room and creeked her door open. I let out a breath of relief when I saw she was still in her bed sleeping soundly, her breath as soft as the snow. My little beauty was safe and warm, I couldn't bear it if I lost her.

...

Marinette pov.

I woke up the next morning to find a a new pink rose and a note on my pillow.

Good morning my Princess

I hoped you slept well

You won't see me til later

But I have a surprise for you

Two actually, the first is in your closet

And the second is tonight

I picked up the rose and smelled it. Then I got out of bed and went to my closet. Hanging inside was a beautiful a-line, off the shoulder, satin red dress with a red and white rose crown. It was the same gown and flower crown I wore in my dream about Adrien. I wonder how he got that or how it even existed.

"He's so sweet." I thought. "Cat Noir's been so kind to me. I wanna give him something."

I pulled out some yarn and knitting needles. I spent the whole day knitting, only stopping to eat breakfast, lunch, and go to the bathroom. By the time I had finished it was night time.

"Marinette?" Tikki said entering my room. "Cat Noir sent me to get you ready."

She ran me my usual bath and dressed me into the gown then styled my hair up with the crown and did my make up. For jewelry I wore ladybug earrings and a sliver chain. Once I was ready I put what I had knitted into a box and wrapped it up. I went into the corridor to see Cat Noir waiting for me in a tux.

Adrien pov.

My heart dropped when I saw her, she looked more beautiful than ever before.

"You...You are so gorgeous." I said.

"Thank you and thank you for the gown. So what's my other surprise?"

"Follow me."

I took her hand and led her into the garden where I had a table with candles, sliver, and roses set up.

"This is beautiful." She said.

I pulled out her chair and pushed it in when she sat. Tikki brought us our meals, we had an almond blueberry salad and steak with red wine to drink. (You can drink in France if you're 16 and older) For dessert we had a light lemon tiramisu. It was the best meal ever.

"Was dinner to your satisfaction Princess?" I asked.

"It was incredible." Marinette said. "I have a present for you."

"For me?"

She handed me a present, it was wrapped up and had a ribbon tied on it. I unwrapped the box to find a blue scarf.

"I made it just for you."

"I...I love it. Thank you, I'll use it every winter."

"I thought since you're always giving me such nice things I should return the favor." She said. "I made it with love."

Love? She made it with love? I couldn't believe it, she actually gave me a present and she made it. What could be better?

Sweet music began to fill the air. Marinette wasn't sure where it was coming from but I had convinced Plagg to use magic to make instruments play by themselves outside the green house.

"Care to dance milady?" I asked extending my hand.

"I'd love to."

I took her hand and kissed the back of it. Our fingers interlocked, my free hand went to her waist while hers went to my shoulder as we began to waltz to the beautiful music. It was like the whole world had faded away and we were in our own little world where nothing bad would happen. It was just the two of us alone, together. I spun and dipped Marinette, she laid her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arms around my neck and mine came around her back and waist. We began to sway slowly, I was so happy and I had a feeling she was too. Happy, here, with me.

No one's pov.

"It's going even better than I hoped." Tikki whispered, watching them.

"Wait to go kid." Plagg whispered.

They turned to leave but accidentally bumped into each other.

"Oh! Sorry." Tikki said.

"My bad! My fault." Plagg said. Then held out his hand. "Shall we?"

"Plagg, we haven't danced since the ball held by King Louis the fifth."

"I know and I remember you looking fantastic."

"Rascally devil." She giggled as they also began to dance.

"Remember I'm blind so I might step on your toes." He said.

"I don't care."


	13. Chapter 13

I'm so happy." Marinette sighed against my chest.

"I'm really glad you feel that way, your happiness means the world to me." I said.

"You know when I'm with you I feel so different. Back home every time Chloe saw me happy she made fun of me and I couldn't bring myself to show how sad I was to my parents because they had enough to worry about but with you...I can be happy without fear, I can be sad without worry, I can be me."

This was it, I had to tell her. Now! That I loved her, more than anything. More than my own life, more than the heavens and the earth, that I wanted to be with her forever.

"Marinette?"

"Yes?"

"I...I...I want you to stay with me, always."

"Cat-"

"I know. I was wrong to bring you here."

"Why did you bring me here?"

"I was alone for so long and no one really cared for me. I wanted someone who wasn't afraid or disgusted to stay with me."

"Oh kitty." She sighed stroking my hair.

"And being with you so much as made me realize that I...I think...I'm falling in love with...with...with." Come on! Spit it out stupid! I thought. "The night! It's so pretty."

What are you doing? My mind screamed, man up and tell her how you feel you don't have much time left.

Then I noticed that she looked a little worried.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"Oh nothing it's just that I'm worried about my parents. I really wish I could see them one last time just to see that they're okay."

"I have a way. Wait here." I went to his room and brought back his mirror. "This will show you anything you want to see."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Trust me. Just ask to see someone."

"Okay, show me Alya Cesaire."

It glowed and an image of Alya appeared, she was on a date with Nino. We were pretty surprised to see our best friends together.

"Cool." Marinette said. "Can they see us?"

"No and they can't hear us either."

"Hmm...Show me Chloe Bourgeois."

An image of Chloe appeared, she was trying to pop a zit on her forehead. Gross!

"Ewww!" We both said.

"Boy if the government had one of these they'd go crazy. Who should we look at next?" She asked. I was worried she would ask to see me, well Adrien actually so I changed the subject.

"Let's check on your parents first."

"Show me Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng."

The image of Chloe disappeared and showed Tom lying in bed in the hospital with Sabine crying next to him.

"Papa? Oh no...no...no!"

"What is it?"

"My father's in the hospital, something's wrong and he could die."

I saw the tears in her eyes, I looked at my arm. The last white rose had fallen all that remained were a few red ones if I were to let her go now I would probably never see her again and all hope of the spell breaking would be gone. "Love is not selfish Adrien." Plagg's words from earlier rang through my head. He was right, I had to let her go."

"Marinette you need to go."

"What?"

I regretted saying those words the minute they left my mouth.

"Go to him. He needs you."

"You're letting me go?"

"Is that what you want?"

I wanted her to say no, I wanted her to say of course not Cat Noir, I love you and I want to stay with you.

"Yes."

"Then go, but will you come back?"

"As in you won't let me go if I don't?"

"No. You're free to come and go as you wish. I'll drop charges on your uncle but I...I hope you'll come back."

"Oh I will, I promise. When winter's over in the spring, I'll be back on the first day."

"Okay."

Marinette ran back to her bedroom to pack her bags and Plagg gave her money to get a ride. I watched her leave, once she was gone I did something I thought I would never do. Something completely inhuman. I howled, I howled like a animal, a poor, sad, miserable animal.

"You let her go, huh kid." Plagg said.

"I know! I know it was stupid but I had to."

"Are you sure you want this?"

"No! I love her Plagg! I love her more than anything or anyone but I couldn't keep her! I didn't let her go because I wanted to I let her go because I had to!"

"You've fallen in love in her." Tikki said.

"What does it matter?" Plagg said. "She needs to love him for the curse to break."

"I don't care about that anymore." I sighed. "All I care about is that I may never see her again."

Tikki rubbed my back comfortingly while she and Plagg looked at me with pity. Outside I could see Lila in the distance smiling, I wouldn't be surprised if she used her magic to give Tom a sudden heart attack so Marinette would leave. Everything was going according to her plan, Marinette would never come back and I would be cursed forever.

"You should have loved me Adrien." I heard her say "Now no one shall ever love you."

...

Marinette pov.

I burst through the hospital doors and ran up to the front desk. Once I got the room number from the nurse I raced upstairs to the room where my father was staying.

"Marinette?" Sabine said.

"Hello Mama."

"Oh my baby."

She hugged me daughter and kissed me then I went to my father's side.

"Papa?" I said gently. "Papa, I've come back."

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Marinette. Oh I thought I would never see you again. But how did-"

"I'll explain later, just rest."

Within a few days my father recovered and we went back home where I was happily reunited with her friends.

"Alya?" I called to the reddish brown haired girl with glasses. "It's Marinette! I'm home!"

"How dare you pretend to be my friend." Alya angrily said turning around. "Everyone knows she's de- Marinette? Marinette!"

We hugged each other.

"Girl I was sure you were dead. Thank God you're back. I can't wait to tell everyone in school they'll be so happy except for Chloe but who cares what she thinks? You know what we should celebrate, come on."

We went shopping and later we went out to eat. As I was walking home I felt someone watching me then my arm was grabbed.

"So you got away did you girl?" I knew that horrible voice all too well. My head turned my uncle, he was high on drugs. "You escaped! And now he'll call the cops!"

"He dropped the charges!" I snapped pulling my arm away. "So you can leave me alone."

"I need money." He told me. "A lot of it! I owe a guy and he's dangerous but he'll let it slide if I give him a pretty girl to hook up with."

I ran as fast as I could til I got home then I locked the door to my room and began to cry.


	14. Chapter 14

Adrien pov.

Days had passed, I waited anxiously for spring. I hardly ever did everything anymore, I didn't tutor with Plagg anymore or talk with Tikki. Not even the roses made me happy because each one reminded me of her.

When she had first left, I cradled every rose she had ever touched until it wilted away. Once the roses she touched were all dead, I went into her bedroom and inhaled her bed sheets. They smelled of her scent which caused me to start crying into the sheets. At night when I could bring myself to sleep, I was tormented by dreams of my princess, my lady, my Marinette. Sometimes they were nightmares about her forgetting me and never coming back. Other times I would dream that she did come back and that she told me how much she loved me. I would be so happy but my joy would turn to sadness when I woke up to find her gone again.

I would just sit and look out the window waiting for her. Praying that she would keep her promise, that she wouldn't abandon me. Plagg and Tikki tried to comfort me but nothing they said or did could erase the pain in my heart. As time went on, winter would soon end and I eagerly awaited the first day of spring which was when she would come back not to mention the red roses were wilting away at an alarming speed.

"Don't forget me Princess." I thought. "Please don't forget me."

Marinette pov.

Although I was happy to be home with my friends and family I couldn't help but think about Cat Noir. He was always on my mind and I found that I missed him and that I was actually sad without him.

"Marinette is something wrong?" My dad asked.

"No, it's nothing."

"You're still thinking about him aren't you? Marinette did he hurt you while you were with him?"

"No. He was kind to me and he treated so well. He gave me everything I ever wanted and I didn't even have to ask...Mom, Dad, I...I promised that I would visit him in the spring."

"What?"

"Girl! Are you crazy?" Alya asked. "After all he did?"

"I know it's hard to understand but I actually enjoyed his company and I really like him."

"Marinette is he threatening to have you uncle arrested if you don't go back? Because I don't care what happens to him anymore."

"No Papa. He dropped the charges and he didn't force me to come back he asked me, invited me, I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? But it's only been a month." My mom said. "You can't leave us again so soon."

"At least stay for one more week." My dad said. "It won't make much difference to him but it would mean the world to us."

"But I promised him I'd be back on the first day of spring."

"He's had you for almost a year, surely a month and one week longer won't hurt him." Alya said.

"Alright."

So I decided to stay a week longer than promised but I began to regret my decision shortly after because now Cat Noir was all I ever thought of. Then one night I had a disturbing dream, I dreamed of his garden but the roses were all wilting and dying. And in the middle of it, Cat Noir was on the ground crying.

"Marinette!" He howled. "You promised! Why didn't you come back? My heart breaking! Please come back my love!"

He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a knife.

"If you have abandoned me then I see no point in living anymore."

He raised the knife and brought it toward his heart.

"No!" I screamed waking up. Tears streamed down my face, I shouldn't have stayed for so long. I got out of bed, slipped on my jacket, and rushed downstairs toward the door.

"Marinette?" Her dad asked sleepily. "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I have to go back!" I cried.

"Go back? Where?"

"To him!"

"You can't leave now!"

"I must! He needs me!"

"Marinette it's far too late! And you don't have to go back right away."

"But I want to go back! Now! I love him! I want to be with him!"

I hurried outside and hailed a taxi.

"Marinette!" I heard my father call.

"Let her go Tom." I heard my mother say calmly. "It will be alright."

Normal pov.

Once again Tikki and Plagg met up with the other magic users.

"Progress report?" Duusu asked.

"Bad news on my part." Trixx sighed. "Prince Ali and a local princess are getting married tomorrow which means Rose must die but she will be welcomed in the kingdom of heaven."

"We're very sorry." Bebe said. "But I found a young artistic prince to awaken Juleka."

"That's great." Wayzz said. "Ivan's human again. The evil dwarf was killed and now he and Mylene are getting married."

"A a spoiled princess lost her purse in the well where Kim was staying." Nooroo said. "She promised to be his friend and one day kiss him if he retrieved it."

"Wonerful." Duusu said. "Plagg, Tikki, how's it going?"

"Well it's..." Tikki said.

"It's over!" Plagg said. "She's never coming back!"

"Now you don't know that!"

"It's passed the day she promised!"

"Maybe something came up. Who knows maybe she's on her way back right now."

"I hope so because the kid doesn't have much time left."

"Poor Adrien. He hardly does anything now, he wishes he were dead but hasn't committed suicide thank God."

"Not yet."

"Plagg! Excuse us please." They left the table and went somewhere private. "What is the matter with you?"

"Tikki, you and I both know that's where he's headed. If she never comes back and I'm positive she won't then he's going kill himself sooner or later."

"We don't know that for sure. I really do believe that she loves him."

"You know what love is? It's stupid! Sure everything starts out great but then something bad happens like a curse or an accident or something getting stolen. Then one person becomes a burden while the other leaves! That's all it is! Pain! And lies!"

Tikki slapped him.

"Don't you say that!" She said with tears streaming down her face. "Don't you ever sa that to me again! Do you hear me?! How can you say that?!" Plagg gave her a look of a regret. "Now you listen to me you lazy, immature, cheese loving bum! I don't care that you lost your eyes and that you're not as powerful as you used to be! If I did I would've left you a long time ago! Decades! Centuries! But I stayed! I gave up my wings! My home! My sisters! Why?! Because I love you! I have always loved you! And I will never leave you! So don't you dare think that I would ever grow my wings back and fly away from you! Because I love you! You idiot!"

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I didn't mean it. I just..."

"I know." She said hugging him, he hugged back. "I know. But no matter what happens we will always be together."

"I love you." He said.

"I love you too. Even you are a cheese loving idiot. But your my cheese loving idiot."

 **For the record Adrien didn't kill himself that was just a prediction she dreamed**


	15. Chapter 15

Adrien pov.

I groaned as I woke up the next morning. Another dream about Marinette, two days had passed since the first day of spring. I began to believe that she had left me for good. I wanted to die oh how I wish I could die, I thought about committing suicide but something always stopped me. I assumed it was because of fear.

"Excuse me?" A voice asked. "Are you Adrien Agreste?"

I turned to see a woman dressed in orange in my room.

"Hi we've never met but I know you pretty well." She said. "My name is Trixx, sorry to drop in like this but I wanted to apologize."

"For what?" I asked.

"For giving Lila the power to do what she did. She wasn't always like this, she was once a poor girl who needed help. I thought if I taught her magic I thought she would use it for good but I was wrong. I'm very sorry."

"That's alright. You couldn't have predicted what she would've done."

"If there's anything I can do to help just ask."

"I'm guessing you can't undo her curse?"

"No."

"Well then I have a request."

"What?"

"Can you give Plagg back his eyes and Tikki her wings?"

"Oh! Well I don't know about that. Something like that could only be done if they did a good deed. Look I can't just give them back but if the curse gets broken then that will count as them helping you so maybe." She opened my window and spread out her orange wings. "I'm really sorry."

Then she flew away. Four more days went by and I spent those days in my room watching people with the mirror. I couldn't bring myself to watch Marinette, it was just too painful. The first person I asked to see was my father who had fallen into a drunk decline over my absence, I never imagined my father would miss me that much. Then I spied on Chloe who was either doing her make up, shopping, or flirting, and Nino who was always with Alya.

One Sunday night I looked down to see one red rose left, once it wilted I was done for. I looked out the window hoping that maybe by some miracle I could see Marinette coming back but I didn't. It was 11:00 at night when I finally decided to ask the mirror where she was. I just had to see her one last time before I was left alone in darkness forever.

"Show me Marinette." I said still looking out the window. Then I heard a scream, I turned to the mirror to see Marinette in the bad side of Paris being dragged by some greasy looking man with brown hair.

"Where are we going?" She asked fearfully. "Please let me go. Theo I promise I won't tell the police just let me go."

"Shut up!" He said. He threw her to the ground, ripped off her jacket exposing a white night dress, and forced her up. "Your uncle couldn't pay back with money so he gave me you! Now I'm gonna have my way with you!"

"No! You can't do this!" She cried. "Help! Someone help me!"

I ran downstairs and out the door then bolted toward the city. The people who saw me gasped and screamed in horror but I didn't care. I felt my animal instincts kick in, I ran faster and my sense of a smell increased. I caught her scent and followed it to some low down, cheap motel. Once I arrived I ran upstairs and through every isle and with my animal like smell and hearing, searched for which room they were in.

"Get up!" I heard a voice shout from one room.

"Stop it! Let me go!" That was Marinette. "Don't touch me!"

"Princess!" I kicked down the door. The man called Theo sized Marinette by her hair and pointed a gun toward her. I looked into her eyes, they held both fear and relief.

"You're here." She whispered happily.

"Don't move freak!" The man said.

I bared my fangs and my ears went down in anger.

"IF YOU HURT HER!" He growled. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

Fear crossed Theo's face, his grip on Marinette began to loosen but he still cocked his gun, her breath stopped. But he turned the weapon away from her and toward me, that was all I needed. Giving into my animal rage, I tackled Theo, we wrestled for the gun. A shot rang out hitting me in the chest, in pain I punched him knocking him out and collapsed to the floor. Marinette ran to my side.

"I'll get help." She said starting to leave.

"No." I clung to her arm. "Stay with me! Be with me!"

"But you're hurt!"

"I don't care! You need to hear this." My chest hurt like hell and it was bleeding, I felt my mind wanting to slip into unconsciousness but I had to stay awake. I couldn't die yet, I had to tell her.

"Don't talk, you need your strength." She said cupping my face.

"It won't make any difference."

"Don't say that! Please don't!" Tears began to fill her eyes. "I'm here now. We're together again. Everything's going to be alright."

"Why didn't you come back?"

"I'm so sorry I stayed longer than I promised but my family begged me to stay and when I tried to come back I had a hard time finding where you lived and then I got jumped by Theo, my uncle owed him money so he sold me to him and- oh this is all my fault!"

"Hey it's okay." I said weakly. "I'm just glad I got to see you. Marinette I want you to know that being with you for that year it...made me happier than I ever been."

"Me too."

I raised my hand to caress her cheek and wipe her tears away. She fought to hold in her sobs. I looked over at my tattoo the last rose was beginning to wilt, it was too late. I felt my life begin to fade, I had to tell her now.

"Please, let me get an ambulance. If anything ever happened to you-"

"I love you Marinette! I love you more than anything in the world! I know I'm too ugly for you to love. But I'll always-"

"You are not ugly!" More of her tears fell. "You are the most beautiful man I have ever met." She sobbed. "And I love you! Don't die please! I love you! Don't you see that?! I love you!"

"Then kiss me! Let me have the memory of your kiss even if I die."

She leaned forward and kissed me, my eyes, my cheeks, and finally my lips. I was fading fast but I didn't care. I tasted her, I felt her, I held her. Now I could die happy. My eyes closed and my body became still just as the last petal of the rose fell. I felt Marinette laying on me and I heard her sobbing bitterly. I was so sorry that I was leaving her like this.

Suddenly I felt something falling in me. It felt like, it smelled like, rose petals. Hundreds of rose petals falling in to us. Then just like that they stopped falling, I began to feel better a lot better. I didn't hurt anymore in fact it was like my wounds were gone. I opened my eyes to see rose petals everywhere on the floor, Marinette was looking at me upset and confused with red, white, and pink rose petals in her hair.

"What?" She said. "Where's Cat Noir?"

"I'm here my love." I said sitting up.

"Adrien? Adrien Agreste? What are you doing here?"

"What did you call me?" I looked down, the tattoo was gone and I saw my hands. They were regular, regular human hands. I felt around my face and head, no fur or cat ears. I looked at my reflection in the window. I was myself again.

"Adrien, did you see a boy dressed in black? He was-"

"Ugly? Hideous? Fearsome?"

"No!" She cried with another tear falling. "He was the most wonderful person I ever knew."

"It was me. I was him."

"No. No you can't be. Where is he? He was hurt!"

"Marinette I'm here and I'm alright. Let me explain there was a spell and it could only be broken if you loved me."

"That's crazy! I don't understand!"

"You once told me that I reminded you of someone when you could only hear me. Close your eyes and listen to my voice."

Marinette pov.

I couldn't believe any of this and I was so afraid that the man I loved was dead that I felt like balling. But I did as he asked.

"I'm here." He said. "I'll always be here."

I gasped at the familiarity in his voice. I opened my eyes, he held my face gently and wiped my tears away like before. I looked into his eyes, his beautiful green eyes that were the very same as Cat Noir. I gently raised my hand to stroke his cheek.

"I love you Princess."

"It is you." I said hearing the familiar nickname. "Oh Adrien."

We kissed each other passionately with our arms around each other. Oh how I prayed to God this wasn't a dream.

...

No one's pov.

"Wake up." Plagg said as he opened his eyes to see the sun. "Wake up! Wake up!" He slapped and pinched himself. "This can't be real!"

"Plagg!" Tikki cried. "Plagg! You won't believe this!"

She ran out of her room to where he was. The man's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the beautiful red woman who had his wife's voice.

"Tikki?" He touched her hand to make sure she was real.

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

"You...You...You." He stuttered.

"I what? What is it?"

"You look as beautiful as the last time I saw you."

"You...You can see? You can see me?"

"I don't know how it's possible but yes. I can see. My eyes are back."

"Then take a look at this."

She took off her sweater to reveal a pair a glittering ladybug wings on her back.

"This is a dream right?" He asked touching them.

"Must be." Tears of joy filled her eyes. "But happy." She said hugging him.

"Very damn happy." He said stroking her hair and wings.


	16. Chapter 16

Normal pov.

Lila felt rage and envy fill her body as she watched Adrien and Marinette embrace. She raised her finger to cast another curse, this time she would turn both of them into statues.

"Oh no you don't!" As quick as air, Lila's necklace was snatched right off her neck by Trixx. "Finally I found you!"

"Trixx?"

"Surprised to see me? You've been running from me for a long time Lila, but I finally caught up with you."

"What do you want?"

"Don't play coy with me, you know very well why I'm here. You selfish, ungrateful, and wicked girl. I teach you magic to help you better your life and what do you do? You torture humanity with out any concern for others. Aren't you ashamed?"

"What about me? Humanity wasn't so kind to me! The world against me! You're against me!"

"Oh stop that! I swear that crying bit is almost as bad as Chloe Bourgeois's. This is not about people bullying you and you know it so drop the act! This is about you and using magic for your own selfish desires!"

"Oh please spare me the lecture."

"Why did you curse Adrien Agreste? He was kind, considerate, and generous young man."

"No! He's not! He may have the you and everyone else fooled but I know what he's really like! He's cold and uncaring! He doesn't love anybody!"

"Really? Then why did he almost die for Marinette?"

"What?"

"When Marinette was being held hostage by Theo, Adrien fought to save her which resulted in him getting shot in the heart. He knew he was going to die but he was happy to do it if it meant she would live. If that's not true love than I don't know what is."

"He loved her beauty! Love isn't real! Nobody really loves anyone! Nobody loves me!"

"I loved you." She confessed. "I loved you like a daughter, which is why I helped you but I forgot how easily corrupted humans can be by power. I'm afraid that I must now strip you of your powers and send you somewhere to be cleansed of corruption. Forgive me Lila for it was my foolish decision to teach you magic that drove you to this."

Adrien pov.

This morning on the news I saw that my father had been in a car accident for drunk driving. Nobody was hurt thank God and my father had enough money for bail. Marinette asked if I should check on him. I told her I had cut him out of my life for good but after seeing how miserable he was since then I realized maybe I could give him a call.

"Hello?" His voice was groggy, he must've been drinking.

"Father?"

"Adrien?" His voice peeked up as if he had been looking forward to me calling him forever. "Son is it really you?"

"Yes Father. How are you?"

"Well I..I..I'm well off." In other words he's a wreck. "Why have you called?"

"Just to check up on you...anyway I should be going."

"Wait! Can't you talk a little longer? Or visit maybe?"

"Visit?" Did he know I was no longer cursed? "You sure you wanna visit from your Beastly son."

"Yes! Please son! I miss you!"

Missed me?

"I'll be there on Friday and I'm bringing a girl. Is that alright?"

"Yes do whatever you want just come!"

I almost dropped my phone. This man couldn't possibly be my father either that or he's more drunk than I thought. But I dared to hope so we went but I chose to wear my black hoodie that covered my face. I didn't want him to know I was back to normal just yet.

When we arrived my father's employees welcomed me respectfully like they did when I used to live there. I was so nervous but Marinette kept me calm.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah." We were led into his office. It was a complete mess, papers straddled everywhere and empty beer bottles on the floor. My father rose from his desk and looked at us.

"Son."

"Father."

"Who's this?"

"Marinette. She's my girlfriend and one of the most beautiful women in creation."

"It's pleasure to meet you young lady."

"Thank you sir." She said.

"Could you give me and my son some time alone?"

"Is that alright Adrien?" She asked me.

"Yes." She went into the other room leaving me alone with my father. "So why did you want me to visit? A plastic surgeon who could fix me called?"

Then he did something completely unexpected, he hugged me and he started crying. My father was actually crying. I had never had seen him cry before.

"I'm sorry." He sobbed.

An apology? My father never, never, I repeat never apologized to anyone. Who was this man? Was I dreaming? Oh the hell with it he was opening up me and I had to enjoy it. So I hugged him back.

"I love you Adrien. I really do. I'm sorry that I wasn't a suitable father to you, after your mother left me I felt terrible and I thought about letting you go live with her but I was afraid you'd leave me for good like she did but now I realize you would've been better off if you had. It's my fault she left I cared more about money and status than I loved her and you. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I..I forgive you."

We broke apart and I pulled down my hoodie to show him I was back to normal. But he told me he didn't care about that anymore, he was just happy to have me back and that was all I could ask for him.

 **Sorry it's late but I've been busy with writer's block, chores, planning for vacatio, and my dog is in love with my neighbor's dog it's just been very...busy.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello my story is almost done. Listen I would like this to be like an audiobook so if anyone has a YouTube account and would be willing to do a fanfiction reading of this that would be great. If you want to do or know anyone who would please PM me first before using it also be sure to credit me as the writer because if you don't, my uncle's a cop and I'll have you arrested for piracy and plagiarism...Just kidding...Maybe ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

Adrien pov.

You know life has a way of making things work out and we'll things had worked out great for me and Marinette. I made up with my father and went back to school where Marinette became my girlfriend much to the shock and confusion of a lot of people especially my ex girlfriend Chloe who I now hear is dating a talking frog. Apparently she promised she would go out with him if she retrieved her Prada handbag from a fountain. Of course she lied but her father wanting to avoid bad publicity that would say local mayor raises his daughter to be a liar all over media so he made her date him.

Marinette's uncle and that pervert Theo were arrested per my phone call and they'll probably be away for a long time. I haven't heard from Lila but Plagg says she's getting her just reward for all the curses she's throughout the years. I don't know how they punish witches but I don't think I wanna find out.

I still see Plagg and Tikki from time to time and they couldn't be happier except whenever they argue over Plagg going to cheese rehab. Nino and I reunited and he was a little upset that I had disappeared for two years without telling him but he forgave me once I explained everything. I also met his new girlfriend Alya who's a pretty cool girl. Together the four of us passed all our classes and graduated. Marinette and I have decided to spend the summer traveling together to see the world before we go to college. My dad said it was crazy but he didn't stop me because he owes me. But before our adventure can began Marinette and I have to attend a little graduation party.

"Sorry I'm late." She said rushing to meet me. She was dressed in a beautiful, light pink and cream colored, lace and vintage spring dress with matching white sandals. She had sewn the dress herself and it looked perfect on her. Her hair was down in waves and pinned back with a pink rose while a little blush and lip gloss highlighted her beautiful face. I swear she was the beautiful woman in the world.

"You are so beautiful." I said embracing her. I inhaled her scent, she smelled of fresh lavender.

"I'm only beautiful because I'm so in love." She giggled while blushing.

We then locked arms and walked into the building where the party was held.

"Hey dude you made it." Nino said hugging me. "Hey you're not gonna disappear on me like you did at the last dance right?"

"No vanishing act this time." I reassured him.

"Girl! You look fantastic!" Alya said running to hug Marinette. "I love the dress."

"Thanks I made it myself." She said.

"Really? Well let's try that dress out on the dance floor."

We spent the whole night laughing, dancing, and enjoying delicious pastries that were provided by the kind caters Tom and Sabine and when it got dark we all went outside to watch the fireworks the school had bought for extra amusement. Marinette and I sat up on a hill, wrapped in a blanket and watched in awe as the entire night sky was lit up with explosions and blast of light and color.

"Aren't they beautiful?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah they are." I agreed.

"So you'll be ready when I come to pick you up tomorrow morning right?"

"Of course and I believe the our first stop should be Normandy."

"I agree and after that London."

"Then sunny Spain."

"Italy."

"And every other country in Europe just ready to be explored by us."

I planted a kiss on her cheek, she giggled and turned to look at me.

"What?" I asked her.

"It's funny." She said. "We spent a whole year together and I had no idea who you really were. It's kind of embarrassing."

"No it's not. To be fair I didn't exactly look like myself."

"No but you sounded the same and you acted the same. It's amazing how I didn't figure it out."

"Well that doesn't matter anymore. What does is that we're finally together. You know after my mom died I never thought anyone would love me."

"Why?"

"Well I always thought that without my looks and my success no one could ever really love me. Even before the curse I always wondered if no one loved the real me, the me that was underneath the handsome model boy. When that curse was placed on me I got my answer and at first I was sad because so many people were repulsed by me even my own father but then I met Plagg and Tikki and you. You guys cared about me, you loved me even though I didn't have thing to offer."

"That's not true." She said. "You have much more to offer other than looks and fame. You're gentle and kind and brave and funny. You treated me so well, you were a prince even though you didn't look the part. To me nothing had changed, in my eyes you were always handsome."

I didn't think it was possible but I loved her more than I ever had. She truly was a beauty with a heart of gold. She always saw the real me, she always loved the real me. She never saw just the handsome model boy or the disfigured freak of nature. She saw the real Adrien Agreste. True she didn't know it for a year but that wasn't important. What was is the fact she loved me, the real me.

"Be honest Marinette did you ever think I was ugly once?"

"How could I think you were ugly? I was in love with you and no matter what you do or how you look, love is never ugly."

"Marinette." I said cupping her face gently. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Our lips met in another one of our many passionate kisses. My heart fluttered and I blushes all over. Marinette was right, love was the most beautiful thing in the world meaning Marinette was the most beautiful woman in the world because she had so much love to give. People who have a heart full of love and share that love with others are the most beautiful people in the world.

"You're so beautiful." I sigh against her lips.

"Really?" She said.

"Yes? Don't you believe me?"

"Well it's hard for me to see myself as that. Honestly in my eyes I was always plain and homely."

"You're not. You are so beautiful it makes my heart hurt and warm at the same time. Your beauty shines from the inside and the outside and that in itself is very rare. At least that's what my mother always said."

"Oh Adrien." She pulled me into another kiss and we soon fell asleep in each other's arms, happy that after searching for so long we finally found true love.

...

Normal pov.

"Well looks like we're done here." Plagg said watching the two teenagers from afar.

"The beauty turned the beast back into the prince." Tikki said smiling. "This story continues tell itself and each version is always so wonderful."

"Yeah well I guess it's on to the next kids huh?"

"Yes it appears that way, I'm really gonna miss those two."

"Me too so who's the new kid we've been assigned to?"

"She's a little girl, but hasn't been born yet but I hear her name is Emma and she might end up getting hunted by a strange man. A wolf in sheep's clothing if you will."

"Why can't we get the easy ones? That's too hard."

"Sorry dear but don't worry it'll be a couple years before she's born in the meantime I'm going to make her a little present. A nice red jacket with a hood. Isn't that sweet?"

"Yeah totally adorable." He said sarcastically.

"Now be a sweetheart and go get me some scarlet blossoms."

"But they have spikes that burn like fire."

"I know but there the only flowers I can spin into magic red thread."

"Why do you need magic red thread?"

"So the jacket can keep her safe. After all we are going to be her godparents."

"Godparents? We did that happen?"

"Marinette is going to ask us to be Emma's godparents."

"Wait this is the kid's kid?!"

"Yes. I wanted our next assignment to involve us seeing Marinette and Adrien again and my sister Trixx using her ability to see into the future told me that about maybe five or six years from now Adrien and Marinette are going have a baby girl named Emma. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Oh boy, here we go again."

 **Finished! Finally! I think this was my most popular story. Well I'm glad you all liked this and I enjoyed your polite comments. Sad to say this story is over but like all fairy tales it has a happy ending. Also in case you didn't get the idea Emma will be a modern day Red Riding Hood. Thank you all for reading and I'm still looking for audio readers.**


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